Moscow threats to retaliate for new "disgusting" U.S. sanctions

MOSCOW, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia will retaliate for the new sanctions imposed by the United States over the alleged Moscow's involvement into the crisis in Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday.

"We will respond, of course. There are possibilities for such a response and there is a wide set of measures," Interfax news agency quoted the diplomat as saying.

Ryabkov assured the Russian response would be "painful for Washington," because "no one has a right to speak to Moscow in the language of sanctions."

Such attempts will hit those who are doing it, he added, calling the new U.S. sanctions "disgusting."

"Colleagues in Washington utterly misunderstand what is going on in Ukraine," the diplomat said.

On Monday, Washington announced the third package of sanctions against Russia, targeting seven government officials and 17 companies.

These people, among them two from President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, and entities are hit with a visa ban and asset freeze in response to what the White House called Moscow's " continued illegal intervention in Ukraine and provocative acts."

The Obama administration also took steps against high- technology exports to the Russian defense industry.

According to Ryabkov, the announcement made by the White House spokesman Jay Carney showed the U.S. has "completely lost the sense of reality" and Washington aggravates the crisis " deliberately."